Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc (Source: VNA)Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc and his Costa Rica counterpart Alejandro Solano Ortiz co-chaired the second political consultation between the two countries’ foreign ministries in San José, Costa Rica on August 20.
Ngoc is in Costa Rica to attend the seventh Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM 7) of the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) held from August 20-21.
During the consultation, the two sides reviewed the progress of two-way trade which doubled to 68 billion USD last year from 2010, saying that it remains below cooperative potential of each country.
To increase the figure, they agreed to facilitate visits by ministries, localities and business communities to raise mutual understanding, form business ventures and sign agreements to create legal frameworks for bilateral coordination, especially across economics, trade, investment, agriculture, processing industry, culture and science-technology.
They described the political consultation between the two foreign ministries as regular and beneficial to Vietnam – Costa Rica ties bilaterally and multilaterally.
Celebrations for the 40th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties in 2016 were also planned.
Alejandro Solano Ortiz also took the occasion to present a diplomatic note stating the approval of an agreement on visa waiver for Vietnamese and Costa Rica diplomatic and official passport holders, which took effect on August 18.
Both sides confirmed increased mutual support to each other at international organisations and multilateral forums.
The Costa Rica side vowed to positively and favourably consider Vietnam’s proposal to back the country’s bid for non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure, the 2016-2018 UN Economic and Social Council and the 2015-2019 UNESCO Board.
Discussing regional and global issues of shared concern, host and guest agreed to support the settlement of sovereignty disputes via peaceful negotiations and in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Also on August 20, Ngoc paid a courtesy call to Minister of Foreign and Religious Affairs Manuel Gonzaslez Sanz. The host stated that Costa Rica wants to bolster multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam.
He congratulated Costa Rica on its socio-economic progresses and its role as Coordinator of the Latin America for the 2013-2015 tenure, the successful hosting of FMM 7 and the FEALAC’s related meetings.-VNA
